Snatching victory from the jaws of a tie, the Pontifical
North American College defeated Tiberino 3-1 on Saturday, March 24th,
in their fourth Clericus Cup match. The victory earned them three more points, bringing them into a tie with
Mater Ecclesiae for second place in Group A, two points behind the first-place
Croatians.

The NAC welcomed back Phil Smith and Deacon Andy Roza to
their starting lineup, and both players made an immediate impact on the game. However, the match stood scoreless at
the half, as both sides played evenly, while failing to capitalize on golden
scoring opportunities.

But the scoreless tie would not last long. Just minutes into the second half,
Jaime Gil threw the ball in to Jimmy Morrison, in what seemed to be a rather
ordinary play. But Morrison passed
it right back to Gil, who took off with the ball towards the center of the field
and, with his left foot from thirty yards out, unleashed a powerful long ball
towards the goal, where Daniel O'Mullane was in position to put a shot on
goal. However, the ball was struck
so powerfully and accurately that, with its awkward spin, it bounced in front
of the confused goalkeeper and over his head into the Tiberino net. What was meant to be a pass turned into
a shot, and the NAC led 1-0.

The game remained at 1-0 for the rest of the second half
until the referees would almost cost the NAC the game.

With about three minutes to play, the Tiberino side took a
corner kick, which appeared to go out of bounds in the air and then curve back
into play. According to the rules
of soccer, such a ball is out of bounds and thus results in a change of
possession and a goal kick. But
the linesman failed to make the call, and with the NAC goalkeeper Deacon Andy
Roza having stopped playing because of the obvious boundary infraction, the
uncontested ball was headed into the goal by a Tiberino player. The NAC players protested vehemently,
but the no-call stood, and the game was tied at 1-1.

With the game near its conclusion, it seemed to be a repeat
of last week's frustrating tie with the Croatians. But Gil and O'Mullane would not let the North American squad
lose.

The kickoff following the goal resulted in Gil's being
fouled just behind midfield. The
second-year seminarian from Boise then, with masterful accuracy, sent the free
kick over the defense and onto the foot of O'Mullane, who, in one motion,
received the ball and redirected it into the goal. The NAC had immediately answered the Tiberino goal, and the
score stood 2-1. Pandemonium
reached a fever pitch in the American cheering section.

One minute later, the NAC added an insurance goal as
Morrison assisted O'Mullane's second goal of the game. The American side played strong defense
for the remaining minutes, and the final whistle blew, with the NAC defeating
Tiberino 3-1.

The Clericus Cup now takes a two-week respite for Holy Week
and Easter. Play will resume on
Saturday, April 14, when the NAC takes on the O.M.I. Team at 11:15 AM.

Joseph Filice Previtali is a seminarian for the Archdiocese of San
Francisco. He is in his third year of theological studies at the
Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he currently resides. In
June, he will receivethe Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from
the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). Previously,
he was sports editor and columnist for The Gonzaga Witness,
a Catholic student newspaper, which he co-founded
with his friends at Gonzaga University. He will be reporting on the
Clericus Cup for IgnatiusInsight.com and the Insight Scoop blog throughout the
course of the tournament.

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